hot time in the old town

well, the weekend was full. friday band practice, saturday i spent at the tavern tending during the day and running an in house version of “Card Sharks” for our “Survivor Saturday Night” Immunity Challenge. it was interesting. grab a nap and catch the final hockey practice before the tourney first thing in the AM before the Mother’s Day dinner. in there on Saturday night was the girl child’s prom, so that kept her and the wife busy.

Fire: that corner store that gram used to send me to on my bike, burned down last week. here’s the vid . . .

there’s a backdraft at like 5:55 or so that apparently happens when the kitchen windows blow out in the back, and the fire gets a nice rush of oxygen. quite dramatic, and terribly dangerous.

and to think, at 3:35 AM i get pissed if the dog wants out. firefighters get woken up for a far more important task.

this is all one block from the bar. my parent’s house was four doors up from this. no one was hospitalized, everyone lived.

there’s a reason to support the local fire company. over 100 emergency personel were involved in this fight. we opened the doors to give them water, soda, ice, and a place to piss and catch their breath. no one involved gets paid to tackle this. this isn’t manning a telephone asking for a donation, it’s not banging on the drums for a two dollar donation – it’s front line volunteer work. god bless’em.

my mom told me that the scariest moment was when every emergency vehicle blew their air horns at the same time, all dozen plus of them. that’s the signal that a structural collapse is eminent, and any firefighter in the building SHOULD GET OUT NOW!!! people came flying out of every part of the buildings, windows, doors, front and back. and then the 2nd story collapses onto the first.

Hockey: ends up that i’m staying with the goalie at his brother’s house, instead of a hotel room. hehe, an adventure it is!

i had expected i’d be centering either the second or third lines. then a discussion about the power play came up, and our big gun from the point wanted me to be down low with him on that team. so, i get to center the first power play unit. that, makes me happy. and frankly, it’s a good fit. we have the right men for the jobs on that team.

turns out i’m centering the top line, not the second or third. that we’ll have to see about. i have no fear in putting my stick skills up against anyone on planet earth. but you don’t have to look far to find someone that i just can’t keep up with. hopefully i’ll be able to see the plays develop more quickly and just outposition the opposing center, so i don’t have to outrun him.

i spent some time reviewing a coaching manual written by one of the New Jersey Devils assistant coaches from their cup years. on sunday, i did a shift on D on a penalty kill drill, just telling the center to guide the play to the outsides . . . into a waiting defensemen. you can just watch as someone waltzes into a trap. almost made me chuckle. err, actually it did make me chuckle.

gotta, gotta, gotta get in some cardio in these last days!!

NHL – go fly guys. “not dead yet”. and Allan Muir likes their chances. (he has my vote for crappiest haircut, ever – btw).

Parting Shot: my baby girl before her prom at the mam mam’s house . . . .